Children who frequently miss school because of abdominal complaints are far more likely to be suffering from disorders of the gut-brain axis such as irritable bowel syndrome than diseases that can be detected with medical tests, new UVA Health Children’s research has found. The discovery could improve care for children with these common GI disorders and might spare them from a barrage of unproductive tests. UVA’s Stephen M. Borowitz, MD, and fourth-year medical student Seth M. Tersteeg looked at school absenteeism as reported by parents who brought their children to UVA Health Children’s Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinic. Children who had missed more ...

Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York have discovered a novel approach to protecting insulin-producing beta cells from the damaging effects of glucolipotoxicity—a harmful condition linked to the progression of type 2 diabetes (T2D). These findings, published on March 2, 2025 in Nature Communications, could lead to promising treatments targeting beta cell dysfunction. For patients, this research could lead to new treatments that protect the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, potentially ...

Everyday smartwatches are extremely accurate in detecting viral infection long before symptoms appear — now, research shows how they could help stop a pandemic before it even begins. Early detection of sickness is critical for preventing its spread — whether it’s COVID-19, influenza or the common cold. Yet, many illnesses are at their most contagious before people  even know they’re sick. Research shows that 44 percent of COVID-19 infections were spread several days before the sufferer came down with symptoms. Now, researchers at Aalto University, Stanford University and Texas A&M, have released a study that models how smartwatches ...

Both the UN and several Nobel laureates have said that political and economic inequality is a driver of high carbon emissions. The argument is that more democratic societies – where wealth, power and opportunities are more evenly distributed – are better at reducing their emissions. But that is not true – quite the opposite. “Some people hold that a rich power elite stands in the way of climate action, and that democracies can more easily implement measures such as banning emissions or raising taxes,” said Professor Indra de Soysa from the Norwegian  ...

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at 9:00 am Eastern Time  An advanced copy of the full recommendation is available upon request. Media Contacts  American College of Gastroenterology   Becky Abel mediaonly@gi.org (301) 263-9000   American Gastroenterological Association  Annie Mehl communications@gastro.org (301) 272-0013   American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy  Andrea Lee alee@asge.org (630) 570-5601   North Bethesda, MD; Bethesda, MD; and Downers Grove, IL (March 4, 2025) ...

E. (Sarah) Du, Ph.D., an associate professor in College of Engineering and Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University, has been selected as a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) for her significant contributions to innovation and invention.  The NAI is a member organization comprising United States and international universities, government agencies, and nonprofit research institutes. The NAI was founded to recognize and encourage inventors with U.S. patents, enhance the visibility of academic ...

A new study has unveiled a precise picture of how an ion channel found in most mammalian cells regulates its own function with a “ball-and-chain” channel-plugging mechanism, according to investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine. The findings boost the understanding of ion channel biology and could lead to new drugs that target these channels to treat disorders such as epilepsy and hypertension. Ion channels are protein structures embedded in cell membranes that allow charged molecules to flow into or out of the cell. They support essential biological functions, including signaling or communication between brain cells. The study, published ...

March 4, 2025 Contact: Morgan Sherburne, 734-647-1844, morganls@umich.edu     Images of pollinators and plants    ANN ARBOR—An herbicide may "drift" from the agricultural fields where it's sprayed and harm weeds that grow at the edge of the fields, impacting pollinators. A University of Michigan study examined the effects of the herbicide, called dicamba, and found that plants exposed to dicamba drift had a lowered abundance of pollinators, and that pollinator visits to flowers were reduced for some weeds, but not others. The study, led by U-M professor of ecology and evolutionary biology Regina Baucom, ...

Racial segregation remains common in US schools, 70 years after federal legislation formally outlawing segregation by race. But previous research has demonstrated that integration can benefit students of all races and ethnicities. Students at integrated schools learn how to make connections with children from different backgrounds, developing empathy and mutual respect. Madison Landry and Nabeel Gillani explored whether merging schools could help integrate schools. One school could offer kindergarten through second grade for the current catchment areas of two elementary schools, while the remaining school could serve third through fifth graders for the ...

Your smartwatch can probably tell that you are sick before you can—and if everyone followed their watch’s advice to self-isolate, incipient epidemics could be stopped in their tracks, according to a study.  During the early days of COVID-19, research showed that 44% of infections were spread before people even felt sick, making early detection critical for stopping outbreaks. Recent studies have demonstrated that smartwatches can detect infections before symptoms appear by picking up subtle physiological changes, ...

Ideal locations and scales for offshore wind installations depend on both physical conditions and social acceptability. Rudolph Santarromana and colleagues conducted a spatial multi-criteria analysis considering both techno-economics and a socio-environmental impacts, including a broad range of possible concerns, including visual, fishing, marine life, and vessel traffic impacts. Fifty-eight percent of plant location alternatives are suitable from the perspective of developers (techno-economic perspective), but just eighteen percent of sites are suitable from the perspective of a broad range of external stakeholders (socio-environmental perspective). ...

Hydrogen energy is emerging as a key driver of a clean, sustainable future, offering a zero-emission alternative to fossil fuels. Although it is promising, the large-scale production of hydrogen relies heavily on expensive platinum-based catalysts, and hence affordability remains a major challenge for the industry.  To surpass this, researchers from the Tokyo University of Science (TUS) have developed a novel hydrogen evolution catalyst, bis(diimino)palladium coordination nanosheets (PdDI), that offers platinum-like efficiency at a fraction of the cost. Their groundbreaking study, which was published on November ...

An expanded clinical trial that tested a groundbreaking, experimental stem cell treatment for blinding cornea injuries found the treatment was feasible and safe in 14 patients who were treated and followed for 18 months, and there was a high proportion of complete or partial success. The results of this new phase 1/2 trial published March 4, 2025 in Nature Communications. The treatment, called cultivated autologous limbal epithelial cells (CALEC), was developed at Mass Eye and Ear, a member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. The innovative procedure consists of removing stem cells from a healthy eye with ...

In the battle against climate disinformation, native advertising is a fierce foe. A study published on March 4, 2025 in npj Climate Action led by Boston University (BU) researchers, in collaboration with Cambridge University colleagues, evaluates two promising tools to fight misleading native advertising campaigns put forth by big oil companies. Many major news organizations now offer corporations the opportunity to pay for articles that mimic in tone and format the publication’s regular reported content. These ‘native advertisements’ are designed to camouflage seamlessly into ...

Creation of a comprehensive genetic representation for more than 2.5 billion people across the Middle East and South Asia could make a major contribution towards advancing precision medicine, a publication in Nature Medicine reveals. Traditional genetic research has mainly relied on linear reference genomes, which is like having a single, standard version of human DNA that scientists compare everyone's genetic information against. This works well for studying individual genetics but does not capture all the complexities and differences found in diverse populations. The Arab Pangenome Reference (APR) takes a different approach. Instead of relying on just one ...

Study: World’s critical food crops at imminent risk from rising temperatures Global food security could be notably impacted by a marked decline in crop diversity if temperatures rise by more than 1.5°C, reveals new research. Global warming is already reshaping our daily lives, with storms, floods, wildfires and droughts around the world. As temperatures continue to rise, a third of global food production could be at risk. Now, a new study in Nature Food offers a more precise picture of exactly where and how warming will affect our ability to grow food. Researchers at Aalto ...

Boron, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen: these four elements can form chemical triple bonds with each other due to their similar electronic properties. Examples of this are the gas carbon monoxide, which consists of one carbon and one oxygen atom, or the nitrogen gas in the earth's atmosphere with its two nitrogen atoms. Chemistry recognizes triple bonds between all possible combinations of the four elements – but not between boron and carbon. This is astonishing because there have long been stable double bonds between boron and carbon. In addition, ...

OTTAWA, Ontario, Canada, 4 March 2025 – In a comprehensive Genomic Press Interview published today in Brain Medicine, psychiatry resident Dr. Nicholas Fabiano reveals how a personal injury transformed into groundbreaking research on the intersection of physical and mental health. The interview showcases Dr. Fabiano's innovative work in lifestyle psychiatry and his mission to bridge the historical divide between physical and mental wellness. "The arbitrary line we have drawn between mental and physical health is one of the biggest mistakes in medicine," Dr. Fabiano explains in the interview. His perspective was profoundly shaped by a broken bone due to ...

OTTAWA, Ontario, Canada, 4 March 2025 – In a comprehensive Commentary published today in Brain Medicine (https://doi.org/10.61373/bm025c.0020), researchers discuss alarming new evidence about microplastic accumulation in human brain tissue, providing critical insights into potential health implications and prevention strategies. This Commentary examines findings from a groundbreaking Nature Medicine article by Nihart et al. (2025) on bioaccumulation of microplastics in decedent human brains (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03453-1). The ...

MONTREAL, Quebec, Canada, 4 March 2025 - In a comprehensive Genomic Press Interview, distinguished neurologist and geneticist Dr. Guy A. Rouleau, OC, OQ, FRCPC, FRSC, FAAN, outlines his transformative vision for accelerating neurological disease research through open science principles. As Director of The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) and Chair of McGill University's Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Dr. Rouleau is spearheading a revolutionary approach to scientific collaboration that could fundamentally change how brain disease research is conducted worldwide. "We must be honest and ...

LONDON, UK, 4 March 2025 - In a comprehensive Genomic Press Viewpoint (review) article, researchers are shining a spotlight on a revolutionary approach to tackling neuroendocrine tumours (NETs), a rare but increasingly prevalent form of cancer. Published in Brain Medicine today, a peer-reviewed article titled "Alpha particle therapy for neuroendocrine tumours: A focused review" explores how targeted alpha therapy (TAT) could redefine treatment for patients where surgery is not an option. Authored by Dr. Kalyan M Shekhda, Dr. Shaunak Navalkissoor, and Emeritus ...

GUELPH, Ontario, Canada, 4 March 2025 – In an exclusive Genomic Press Interview, Dr. Melissa Perreault reveals how her research is reshaping neuroscience by merging cutting-edge science with Indigenous knowledge. As a professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Guelph and a member of the Royal Society of Canada, Dr. Perreault’s work spans neurobiology, ethical research practices, and the therapeutic potential of psychedelics—all while championing Indigenous representation in STEM. Raised in a low-income, single-parent household, she was the first in her family to attend university. As she navigated academia, she encountered ...

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have discovered that what was previously thought to be a unique seaweed species of bladderwrack for the Baltic Sea is in fact a giant clone of common bladderwrack, perhaps the world's largest clone overall.  The discovery has implications for predicting the future of seaweed in a changing ocean. In the brakish waters of the Baltic Sea, bladderwrack is the dominant seaweed species as it is one of the few seaweed species that can tolerate low salinity. The ...

Mycoplasmas, including bacteria that cause pneumonia in humans, are generally nonmotile, but Mycoplasma mobile, as the species name suggests, has been found in the gills of fish and seems to move by gliding along surfaces. The molecular structure that allows it to do so has for the first time been uncovered by a collaborative research group led by Osaka Metropolitan University Professor Makoto Miyata of the Graduate School of Science. The OMU-led research team has been working since 1997 to clarify M. mobile’s motility mechanisms. ...

One-third of Canadian adults aged 55 or older are nutritionally at risk, potentially leading to increased hospital stays, more emergency visits and physician consultations for possible infections, a new study found. The University of Waterloo researchers assessed data from more than 22,000 community-dwelling adults aged 55 and over from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. After an initial evaluation, they followed up with participants up to three years later to track their health-service use over the previous year.  Researchers used the SCREEN-8 tool (Seniors ...